Tear Stains

[zephrcain]

Any products or secret mixes to reduce or remove tear stains? I bought Eye Envy and it just faded the stains a little. It looked better but not as good as I would like it.

[PrincessPoodle]

The only thing I've heard that works is Angel Eyes. You sprinkle it on either their food or water (I don't remember) and it limits the production of the protien that creates the stains. The stains still have to grow or be trimmed out inititally.

Also, one of my clients swears by giving her maltese bottled water instead of tap. I have no idea if this works for everyone, but I do know that her dog doesn't get tear stains.

[edderland]

For grooming, I love the blueberry facial and a 40 blade; cleans them right up.
Deidre

[Beanermom]

I have read that filtered or distilled water, if fed regularly, will reduce tear stains because filtered/distilled water has no minerals... I don't care for Angel Eyes- although it works- because it has low levels of antibiotics in it. Happy Tails spa makes a product called Eyemunnity- anybody tried it?

[JMarti521]

Try I-Stain.

It worked for my Mini-Schnauzer. You just have to be consistent. It looks like powered milk that you sprinkle on the food. Mix it in well, or they may not eat it, but I found that it worked.
You can get it on Amazon. It's cheaper than Angel Eyes.

[Helly]

I would avoid using anything like Angle Eyes, which is an antibiotic. We already have nasty bacteria that are antibiotic resistant because of the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Why create more, especially when we're talking about a cosmetic problem, not a health issue?

The first thing that should be done is try to address the issue of why the dog is producing excessive tears in the first place. Allergies? Blocked tear ducts? Sinus infection? Bad teeth?

Most of the time the staining is caused by red yeast. I'm not 100% sure why using distilled water would work. I do know that certain food additives can cause a problem because they promote the growth of yeast, and using lemon juice or vinegar to acidify the tears prohibits yeast growth...if you get the tears acidic enough.

If no medical issue is found that can be corrected, there is a way to remove the stains. You mix equal parts milk of magnesia and 20 volume peroxide with enough corn starch to make a paste. Put mineral oil drops in the dog's eyes, then apply the peroxide mixture with cotton balls or swabs. Allow it to sit for half an hour (if it's your dog, leave it on longer if necessary) then rinse and condition well (the mixture will dry the hair out quite a bit).

Please note; DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide. It won't work. You need 20 volume peroxide; the kind used to bleach human hair.

[odette]

Diet alsoplays a role, distilled water is a great start, but clean up the diet,no corn,wheat,soy,food coloring,etc. Is this your dog or dogs in general?

[zephrcain]

Thank you

Thank you everyone-excellent information and excellent suggestions. Much appreciated.

[Arrooh]

I recently read

a study showing that long term antibiotics can kill good bacteria too. Thus the person (or dog) is more susceptible to disease without the fighters. Scary thought.

[Fluff and Puff]

I use Angle Eyes on my own dog, a white toy poodle. It works fantastic!!!! I started noticing a difference in less than 2 weeks. I read the ingredients I didnt see any antibiotics anywhere. I just know it works and I dont even use it everyday now. I only use about 1/4 tsp. on his food.

[kdickerson]

If no medical issue is found that can be corrected, there is a way to remove the stains. You mix equal parts milk of magnesia and 20 volume peroxide with enough corn starch to make a paste. Put mineral oil drops in the dog's eyes, then apply the peroxide mixture with cotton balls or swabs. Allow it to sit for half an hour (if it's your dog, leave it on longer if necessary) then rinse and condition well (the mixture will dry the hair out quite a bit).

Please note; DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide. It won't work. You need 20 volume peroxide; the kind used to bleach human hair.

Helly, do you do this on all the clients that come in with tear stains, or is it like a show trick for your own dogs? Ever had reactions or irritation?

[Helly]

I use Angle Eyes on my own dog, a white toy poodle. It works fantastic!!!! I started noticing a difference in less than 2 weeks. I read the ingredients I didnt see any antibiotics anywhere. I just know it works and I dont even use it everyday now. I only use about 1/4 tsp. on his food.

Look again. Do you see the ingredient "Tylosin"? That's an antibiotic; a macrolide in the same class of antibiotics as erythromycin. It's a broad spectrum antibiotic, which means it's going to kill a broad spectrum of bacteria. But not all of them. The ones that don't get killed are the ones that are resistant. And they multiply, passing that resistance gene along, not only to the bacteria it reproduces, but potentially to other forms of bacteria as well. That may sound a little far fetched, but it's already been demonstrated the MRSA has passed it's resistance gene to other bacteria, including e-coli.

So that leaves me with this question for you: What will you do if your dog gets an infection that is resistant to Tylosin and other antibiotics in that class? Go on to the stronger meds? And even stronger ones? Then what if your dog develops C Diff (think of that as terminal diarrhea) and you have to pull out the really big guns? The ones that cost over $100 for 6 pills?

IMO, using antibiotics for a purely cosmetic reason is just wrong. One of these days we really are going to have bacteria that are resistant to everything. Then what will we do, other than die?

[Helly]

Helly, do you do this on all the clients that come in with tear stains, or is it like a show trick for your own dogs? Ever had reactions or irritation?

Actually, I don't do it on any dog, myself. It's just one of those things I picked up when I was working with a professional handler. She did it when necessary. I can't say we ever had a reaction or irritation, but because of the bleach it's certainly possible.

I probably wouldn't do it on a client's dog without having them sign a release (after carefully explaining the process and potential risks), and I'd probably want to do a test spot somewhere other than the face to check for reactions before I actually tried it around the eyes. But that's just me.